Gennelle Smith previews a trio act from Edinburgh at the local Harrogate Theatre
The production of ‘The Sun in the Cellar’ was a well acted piece with a great many interesting ideas that were not fully realised. The claustrophobia of the set and the dramatic opening scene set the ground for what should have been a brilliant play.
Georgia Bird as Aurore admirably portrayed the difficulties she faced between her duty as a servant and keeping her humanity, although she found it difficult to be heard above the music during her soliloquies. Her relationship with ‘West’, Vianney Delespaux, seemed to lack substance and seemed almost to be an excuse for gratuitous nakedness. The play’s climactic scene seemed to further enhance the unnecessary nudity that almost damaged the sympathy that we should have felt for the characters.
Adam Alcock’s portrayal of ‘Edmund’ perfectly depicted his love of Angeline, portrayed by Catherine Bennett, whilst struggling with the anger of being a survivor in a destroyed world. The use of Edith Piaf’s ‘Je ne regrette rien’ throughout the production, and particularly when used by Delespaux’s character, was an powerful tool in heightening the overriding guilt that permeated the play. Unfortunatly this was overused in the final scene the grating repetition almost breaking the realism of the character’s actions.
Ultimately Tom Vicker’s production was an interesting insight into the lives of those who have survived the end of the world but the short length of the play, only 45 minutes, meant that there was a great many plotlines that were not fully explored. The audience was left feeling slightly unsure that the play was at an end and desiring further exploration into both the characters and the plot. The use of music and light, particularly the central ‘sun’ were very effective and added a great deal to the depth of the play.The cast were superb at maintaining the tension that was prevalent throughout the play but the lack of any lightness or humour meant it was difficult to fully explore the characters and their experiances.
The audience was set in such a way that the front row appeared to be the forgotten crowds surrounding the few that survived underground. However for those of us seated further back the lack of a raised stage meant that the action that occurred on the ground was difficult to see and occasionally it was difficult to hear what was being said. Overall this was also a brave play with a great deal of potential though it ultimately left the audience feeling unfulfilled.
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